Nun organising concert in aid for frail Zambian woman

Nun organising concert in aid for frail Zambian woman

20 March 2019

A CONCERT is being held at the St Patrick Centre in Downpatrick to raise funds to help build a new home for an elderly lady in Zambia after her former house collapsed.

The woman is the mother of Zambian businessman Charles Mwanda, who benefited from a  concert at the same venue last year when just over £3,600 was raised to help him buy generators for his car wash business which employs a number of people.

The concert was organised by Sr Mary Delargy, a missionary sister from Downpatrick who has helped dozens of African children out of poverty and into professions over recent years during her time working in Zambia.

On May 9, the very talented Stephen Smyth and his friends take centre stage at the St Patrick Centre, with the fundraising concert organised by Sr Mary who hopes to raise in the region of £3,000.

“The concert aims to raise money to build a new home in the Zambian capital of Lusaka for Charles’s mother whose is currently staying with someone else,” she explained.

“We hope to raise enough money to build her a much-needed new home, with the property constructed using concrete blocks and corrugated iron. Charles’s mum was in the house when part of it collapsed and had to be taken to hospital.”

Sr Mary explained the scale of the damage was such that the remainder of the woman’s home had to be bulldozed, explaining the plan is to build a replacement on the same site.

“I know the lady very well and visited her when I previously worked over there,” she continued. “I am in regular contact with her son, who was my administrative assistant. 

“I hope we will be able to raise the money needed to build the new home so she has her own roof over her head. I am so grateful to all the people and businesses who are supporting the concert.”

Sr Mary said the lady who was forced out of her home is quite frail and explained that the proceeds of the concert will go straight out to Lusaka so building work can begin as soon as possible.

“We have a builder all lined up, Charles will supervise the work and we hope his mother can be back in her new home soon.”

Sr Mary says she is very grateful to a number of local business people which have kindly agreed to sponsor the convert, including Paul Gallagher (Downe Travel), Martin and Fiona Connolly, MacNabb Waste Management, Kieran Fitzpatrick, Peter Fitzpatrick and Sons Estate Agents and Roy and Paul French.

Tickets for the concert, which starts at 7.30pm, cost £15, including supper, and are available from the St Patrick Centre, Downe Travel and the Downpatrick Parish Office.